Suspects steal nearly $3,000 from man’s shirt pocket as he grocery shops
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Police are searching for two men they believe pickpocketed a Beech Grove man while he was grocery shopping. Officials say the suspects got away with nearly $3,000.
It happened at a Kroger on East Thompson Road near Emerson Avenue earlier this month.
The Griffins live on a fixed income made up of social security and disability benefits. Vicki Griffin says she is battling stage 4 bone cancer. They had planned to use the money on medication and to fulfill one of her lifelong dreams.
“Well, she’s looking forward to her new house. [We’ve] been planning this for how many years? She’s never had her own home before,” said Vicki’s husband, David Griffin.
Vicki added, “It’s my last wish: to have my own home.”
David says he had just withdrawn $2,700 from the bank. He wanted to use the money on renovations for their new home. After his trip at the bank, the couple stopped by Kroger for groceries. Surveillance pictures show the Griffins in the freezer section around 1 p.m. when two men approached them.
“The one guy brushed my pant leg and said, ‘Hey, you’ve got a big bug or black spider crawling on your pants there.’ So, I leaned over to see what he was talking about,” explained David.
But there was no bug, and no spider — just two thieves, according to police. The lie was part of the plan.
“About that time, I just felt a very small tug on my shirt pocket. As soon as I stood up, I said, ‘They’ve got our money,’” said David.
The Griffins believe the suspects had no knowledge of how much money they had, but instead, the thieves got lucky.
But the couple’s not relying on luck; instead, they’re turning to their faith.
They hope the suspects are caught, but in the meantime, David has this message for them: “Get right with God. I hate to see anybody go to hell.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe page for the Griffins. Click here to help.
Police believe the suspects got away in a red Toyota Corolla with dealer plate G850121.
If you recognize the suspect in the photo call, you’re encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.
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